Scientific American: Trump takes aim at Public Health

Trump Takes Aim at Public Health

Last week Donald Trump was inaugurated for his second term. And this one is shaping up to be just as disruptive as his first for the health and research world.

On January 20 Trump signed an executive order announcing he will withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization—the premier source for handling global disease outbreaks and promoting health care access. He tried to withdraw during his first term, but the process requires a year’s notice, so Biden blocked it. This time, the withdrawal is likely to go through.

The WHO has faced its share of criticism for how it handled the COVID pandemic and the fact that it lacks powers of enforcement. But the U.S. withdrawal is bad news for the organization and its nearly 200 member countries, who rely on the U.S. for both funding and public health expertise. And it’s also bad for the U.S. because we will no longer have a seat at the table for important global health conversations—a gap China will likely fill.

Also last week, the Trump administration froze all external communications from the Department of Health and Human Services, including the FDA and the CDC, at least through February 1. This means the CDC can’t release its weekly reports on disease outbreaks, for example, and the NIH—the country’s leading source of biomedical research funding—had to abruptly cancel meetings and grant reviews.

It’s unclear how long the communications freeze will last, but it’s likely already impacting the government’s ability to get out timely health information, including about bird flu.

Trump also signed a number of other executive orders defining biological sex as male or female, rolling back protections for transgender people, and reversing some of Biden’s attempts to lower drug prices for people on Medicare and Medicaid.

And later this week, a confirmation hearing will be held for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Trump’s controversial pick for head of Health and Human Services. —Tanya Lewis

About michelleclarke2015

Life event that changes all: Horse riding accident in Zimbabwe in 1993, a fractured skull et al including bipolar anxiety, chronic fatigue …. co-morbidities (Nietzche 'He who has the reason why can deal with any how' details my health history from 1993 to date). 17th 2017 August operation for breast cancer (no indications just an appointment came from BreastCheck through the Post). Trinity College Dublin Business Economics and Social Studies (but no degree) 1997-2003; UCD 1997/1998 night classes) essays, projects, writings. Trinity Horizon Programme 1997/98 (Centre for Women Studies Trinity College Dublin/St. Patrick's Foundation (Professor McKeon) EU Horizon funded: research study of 15 women (I was one of this group and it became the cornerstone of my journey to now 2017) over 9 mth period diagnosed with depression and their reintegration into society, with special emphasis on work, arts, further education; Notes from time at Trinity Horizon Project 1997/98; Articles written for Irishhealth.com 2003/2004; St Patricks Foundation monthly lecture notes for a specific period in time; Selection of Poetry including poems written by people I know; Quotations 1998-2017; other writings mainly with theme of social justice under the heading Citizen Journalism Ireland. Letters written to friends about life in Zimbabwe; Family history including Michael Comyn KC, my grandfather, my grandmother's family, the O'Donnellan ffrench Blake-Forsters; Moral wrong: An acrimonious divorce but the real injustice was the Catholic Church granting an annulment – you can read it and make your own judgment, I have mine. Topics I have written about include annual Brain Awareness week, Mashonaland Irish Associataion in Zimbabwe, Suicide (a life sentence to those left behind); Nostalgia: Tara Hill, Co. Meath.

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